Can you visit Tromso and the surrounding area without a car? Here’s how by bus, boat or with a tour!

Fancy a trip to Tromso but wondering whether you can visit the city and its surroundings without a car?
It’s not necessarily the easiest option, I’ll grant you that, but there are still ways to do it. No train, a few buses, agencies to take you around — you’ll manage to discover some of the most beautiful spots such as the island of Kvaloya.
I’ll also explain how to see the northern lights in Tromso itself, and what your options are if you want to get out of the city, in particular going through an agency. Let’s go!

That said, if you’re hesitating, in the following article I give you all my tips for driving in Tromso (because it’s not as obvious as it looks). And if you’d still like to see the prices, in this article I tell you who to rent a car from and why.

Can you really visit Tromso without a car?

Short and sweet answer: yes, you can visit Tromso and enjoy it without a car.

If you don’t drive (or don’t want to drive), that’s fine. A car isn’t essential, especially if you have activities every day!

But you’re dependent on buses and agencies. So it costs more.

For example, if you’re staying a week and you have on the programme:

• dog sledding
• a snowshoe trip
• seeing the reindeer
• snowmobiling
• a boat trip or whale watching

You can see that already fills 5 days. So over a week, that’s quite a lot. Especially since there’s also the Fjellheisen and visiting the city on top of that.

If you have loads of activities, the only advantage of having a car is being able to go and see the northern lights every evening by yourself

There, I’ve said it.

On the other hand, be aware that discovering the surroundings of Tromso, the most beautiful spots, by public transport is complicated. Really.

Only one bus to Sommaroy, and even then, it’s impossible to do the round trip in a day. Same for Tromvik. No bus to Signaldalen, for instance.

So you can discover some of them with an agency, you can spend a night in Sommaroy, or take the bus to Ersfjord. But the options are really limited.

That said, Tromsdalen, Ersfjord and Kvaloysletta are reachable by bus with a good network.

Otherwise, I can hear a little voice saying “what about hitchhiking?” Well, there I’d answer that given how rarely people drive past on the road, you risk being found in April when the thaw comes. It can work, the locals won’t leave you out in the cold… if they happen to drive by. And it’s not really part of the local culture.

In summer, when there aren’t many organised activities, it’s harder, because the hikes are outside the city and the trailheads aren’t served by bus.

Visiting Tromso with or without a car, what difference does it make?

Pros and cons of having a car in Tromso:

• + you’re not dependent on agencies
• + you can chase the northern lights by yourself
• + you can explore the landscapes however you like
• – if you’re in the city you need a parking space, which can be expensive
• – if you book late, car rental can cost you an arm and a leg
• – driving in winter isn’t always easy in Tromso
• So it really is freedom! Which can quickly get expensive

Pros and cons of going without a car:

• + if you have loads of activities, then you don’t really need a car, or maybe just for a day or two
• + it saves you a nice chunk of money
• + no stress on the road (even though driving up there is actually really simple)
• + no hassle finding (and paying for) a parking space
• – what you save on the car, you spend on agencies
• – the bus network is bad for getting out of Tromso, very bad
• – you can’t head out to see the northern lights every evening outside Tromso (and that’s the main problem)

Should you really rule out renting a car?

Here again, I’m going to speak frankly based on my own experience, my knowledge of Tromso and its surroundings, and the people I spend time with every season.

The answer is… It depends 😀

Obviously it depends on whether you have a driving licence.

In Tromso in autumn, before the snow arrives, you have far fewer activities. It’s mostly about exploring the surroundings, the landscapes, places that aren’t reachable by bus and often not with the agencies either, since they stick to the same 2 outings (Sommaroy and Grotfjord).

So, in autumn, before the snow, my advice would really be to rent a car. Otherwise you risk going round in circles a bit.

In the depths of winter:

• if you have loads of activities: it’s not really worth it, because you’ll be paying for nothing. At worst, rent for a day or two
• if you don’t feel confident driving on snow, same thing — don’t force yourself
• if you’d rather not use agencies, not do too many activities and mostly enjoy nature (and the northern lights), then rent a car.

And here I have two articles made just for you:

• how to drive in Tromso in winter
• renting your car in Tromso
• compare prices at Discover Cars

But above all, I’m not going to force you to rent a car. In winter you get by just fine without one!

The main places you can reach in Tromso on foot and by bus, and in the nearby surroundings

If you come to Tromso, it’s mainly for the surroundings, the landscapes, the northern lights and all the winter activities. But there’s also quite a lot to see, because Tromso, as well as being a pretty little city, has a fishing past. In this section I’m only covering what’s in the city itself. For the rest, the surroundings such as Kvaloya, doable by bus or on foot, that’ll be a bit further down:

• the centre, its typical streets and its wooden houses with tons of charm
• the harbour, of course, really nice with restaurants
• Polarmuseet, the museum of polar expeditions and Arctic hunting. Small, but really interesting
• Polaria, an interesting museum/science centre/aquarium where you can learn more about Arctic life
• the Magic Ice Bar, an ice bar in the heart of the city, for a curious experience!
• Fjellheisen, the finest view over the city after taking the cable car (or walking up)
• the Arctic Cathedral, just on the other side of the bridge (which has a superb view, by the way); the inside isn’t essential
• the beach at Telegrafbukta
• the lake of Prestvannet in the centre of the island

Outside you have:

• the fjord of Ersfjord with bus 425
• the pretty archipelago of Sommaroy, but you’ll definitely have to sleep there (tip: the Sommaroy Arctic Hotel) via buses 420 or 422
• a few boat round trips that can be worthwhile (Tromso Lysnes for example)

You absolutely must plan your journeys and your outings!

Super important up there if you don’t have a car. You need to plan ahead, especially for activities, for outings, for the northern lights. Because unfortunately people are booking further and further in advance, and there’s less room for improvising.

For the agencies, you need to plan several weeks (even months for dog sledding and snowmobiling) ahead.

For your bus journeys, you need a journey planner. There are 2 for this region:

• Svipper.no, which is the journey planner for the Tromso region’s transport. Works very well
• Entur.no, the go-to across the whole of Norway

I admit I prefer Entur for one very simple reason: it’s more readable. The info is the same, the results identical, but Entur is clearer, and as well as giving bus journeys it gives the walking option too, so sometimes you’ll see the bus isn’t actually any better. And you can also pay via Entur, just like Svipper.

That said, they’ve just redone Svipper, all shiny and new, so that’s very handy too

The island of Tromso without a car, on foot or by bus

The island of Tromso is fairly big, but you can concentrate on the city centre — the north isn’t especially interesting and the west has the airport and the shopping centres. So you won’t really need to go there.

From the centre, some places like Telegrafbukta require about a 40-minute walk. So why Telegrafbukta? Firstly because it’s a nice beach with a very pretty unobstructed view and, as we’ll see further down, it’s a great spot for the northern lights.
To get to Telegrafbukta, take bus 33 from the centre (15 minutes by bus). Otherwise on foot it’s 45 min, since it is 3 km away after all. But honestly it’s an easy walk. Except in snow/rain.

Another nice spot on the island is Prestvannet lake, right in the centre. You have to climb a bit, or take bus 28. That’s 10 minutes by bus or 25 on foot (1.5 km)

But to get to Polaria, the Polar Museet, the Arctic Cathedral, all of that is easily done on foot.

• Polaria is a touch to the south, but a 10-minute walk from the centre
• the Arctic Cathedral is a touch further, a good 20 minutes, mainly because you have to cross the huge bridge (be careful to take the pedestrian lane and not the cycle one!)
• Polarmuseet is in the centre
• the Fjellheisen cable car is a bit further out; allow 40 minutes from the centre, 15 minutes from the cathedral

So really, for the island of Tromso, there’s no need to worry about transport — everything is very easily done on foot.

Especially as the bus costs 41 NOK per journey. It adds up fast!

Bus timetables, maps and fares

On the website Svipper.no, which runs the buses in the Tromso region, you can plan your journeys, buy tickets and check the timetables for each line. Here are the various links:

• to buy bus tickets, several options:
  • Sales points, SMS… it’s all explained here
  • the app
  • careful, the fares are VERY variable (from €2 to €6), have a look here
• The different routes and timetables can be found on this page
• And the general page with the various info is here (careful, not very well translated)

4 quality places to stay in Tromso

Find your dream accommodationIn Tromso !

Discovering Kvaloya by bus – Tromvik, Sommaroy or Ersford

Right, this is where it gets complicated. The 3 main places to see on Kvaloya are Ersfjord, Sommaroy and Tromvik (well, mainly by going via Grotfjord). And we’ll see that it isn’t straightforward, because of how infrequent the buses are.

• Ersfjord, the very pretty fjord close to Tromso, is reachable by bus. It takes 50 minutes and you need 2 buses. First the 420, which takes you from the centre to Kvaloya, then the 425, which takes you to Ersfjord. Easy to do, not too long. There’s roughly one bus an hour, and the last departure for Ersfjord is at 7.50pm. Meanwhile the last departure from Ersford back to the city centre is at 8.50pm. So you can easily go there by bus and spend a few hours, but it won’t be possible to spend the evening there to see the northern lights. That’s annoying.
• Sommaroy, the archipelago at the tip of Kvaloya. It’s obviously worth a visit but… There’s bus 420, which goes from the centre of Tromso to Sommaroy. In that direction it takes 1 hr 40 and there are only 3 departures a day (and that’s on weekdays!), between midday and 4pm. In the other direction, to come back from Sommaroy, there are also 3 departures, between 6.30am and… 2pm. Which is to say you can’t do the round trip in a day. So the only solution is to spend the night there. Except in summer, when it is possible to do the round trip in the same day (still bus 420).
  The good option is to spend the night there! You arrive in the early afternoon, you leave the next afternoon — that gives you time. And you can sleep at the lovely Sommaroy Arctic Hotel
• Tromvik and Grotfjord, this road is superb too. Tromvik is a nice little village but the highlight is the fjord of Grotfjord (or the village of the same name, which is pretty good too). And there it’s even worse than Sommaroy, because there’s simply only one bus to get there and one to come back. And of course they’re not synchronised in a way that lets you go sightseeing. So it’s completely impossible, sorry! It’s bus 425.

Discovering the island of Kvaloya with an agency

I’m going to be honest: going to Tromso and not visiting Kvaloya is a shame. Because it really is magnificent. Here I show you everything you can do on Kvaloya, so you can get an idea of what it’s like, but you MUST see Sommaroy and Grotfjord. It’s magnificent. And the roads that take you there are worth the detour. Mountains, fjords, valleys, superb views. So I think you need to find a way to go and see all that.

If you don’t drive, we’ve seen that by bus it’s particularly complicated (even impossible). So for that, you have a few agencies offering day trips to discover Kvaloya.

These excursions are done by minibus, with between 4 and 8 people, and go along the 2 main roads of Kvaloya: towards Tromvik, Ersfjord and Sommaroy. In other words the essentials, and that’s not bad for a single day.

It was my first group outing in Tromso on my first stay; I really liked it, it’s genuinely great for exploring without pressure (for me it was the stress of driving on a road I didn’t know). So for that, I recommend this trip 🙂

• Discover the small-group Kvaloya tour!

Discover Kvaloya by boat!

This is another lovely way to discover Kvaloya! You board a boat that takes you around the fjords, seeing the island’s mountain landscapes from a different angle, and it’s really not bad at all.

The route can depend on the weather, but the idea is to go and see the various fjords of Kvaloya. Some also offer fishing — why not!

• Discover the fjords of Kvaloya by boat!

Seeing the northern lights in Tromso without a car

Seeing the northern lights without leaving Tromso

Right, as I always say, to see the northern lights you need:

• an unobstructed view
• to be far from the lights of the city and the roads

Suffice to say that in Tromso it’s far from guaranteed. In the heart of the city it’ll be hard to see the lights, unless they’re strong. If you go to the harbour, to the shore, you can get a nice view if they’re dancing. But the lights still spoil it a bit.

However, if the sky is clear in Tromso, then you have a few safe bets, 3 options:

• Prestvannet lake, in the centre of the island. Up high, with an unobstructed view but still quite a lot of light around. It’s not my favourite spot for watching the lights, even though it’s a nice place
• the beach at Telegrafbukta. In my opinion it’s the best place in the city to see the northern lights. It’s relatively far from the city lights, away from the centre, and above all it has a lovely unobstructed view! You’ve got the north, the west, and Kvaloya as a backdrop. It really is a great spot
• the Fjellheisen cable car. A fantastic view over the island of Tromso and the mountains of Kvaloya behind. It genuinely is beautiful, and if the lights are out, then it’s magical. There are a few drawbacks though: you have to pay to go up, or climb on foot (not very practical in winter, doable without snow), and there’s a lot of wind up there. That said, it’s still a top spot.
• near the airport, when you cross the road, there’s a very large area without too much light facing Kvaloya. It’s pretty
• Otherwise, the rooftop of the Clarion the Edge, a nice bar, up high, which could well give you an interesting view if you’re not leaving the city

Seeing the northern lights with an agency

But realistically, you might want to see the northern lights outside the city if you don’t have a car. For several reasons:

• the weather is cloudy in Tromso but there are possibilities outside the city (very common)
• to maximise your chances of seeing the northern lights

For that, you go through one of the city’s many agencies. There are lots of them, they’re not all equal, but they let you see the lights without too much hassle. They’ll seek out the right spots depending on the weather, they’ll sometimes drive for a long time (even as far as Finland), and some will teach you how to take photos.

You’ll find every price range. Here are 4 recommendations below, but if you’d like more choice, I suggest my article on the good northern lights guides in Tromso, to avoid getting ripped off.

The other activities you can do in Tromso

So in Tromso itself, there are a few options. Generally you’ll have to go through agencies, but some things like skiing can be done on your own. Let’s have a look.

• You can check out this article where I list alllll the activities to do in Tromso, in every season, many of which include transport

Skiing in Tromso

For cross-country skiing in Tromso, it’s easy — no need to leave the city. Just head to the top of the island and you have a track. There’s also a track in Tromsdalen, via bus 26, which you can find here.

For alpine skiing, there are small slopes at Kroken, the Tromso Alpinpark. You can rent your gear directly on site, see here. A day costs 370 NOK.

And if you’d like to try a cross-country skiing introduction, no problem! It’s this way!

Going on a snowshoe trip

Without a car, you won’t be able to go snowshoeing in Tromso unless you go through an agency. Because, unlike cross-country skiing, there’s no dedicated trail in the city. The suitable areas are more on Kvaloya, or Breivikeidet for example.

So for that, I’d advise heading out with Wandering Owl, an excellent sports agency with very good guides, for snowshoeing in particular.

• Discover the snowshoe trip with Wandering Owl!

Going dog sledding

The good thing about these activities is that they pick you up in the city centre.

Dog sledding is one of the must-dos in Tromso in winter. Naturally, you need snow — a decent layer of it so the doggies’ paws don’t get hurt. So here it can start in November/December and run until April, sometimes May.

It’s really nice, the dogs are adorable, well treated (important) and above all they absolutely looove what they do. They’re built to run.

You can discover the best places to go dog sledding in Tromso!

• Book your dog sledding activity in Tromso!

Seeing whales and orcas

Whales and orcas are no longer in Tromso itself, they’re a bit further away at Skjervoy. For that, you’re taken there either by boat or by bus.

Whales and orcas can be seen in the region from early November until, normally, the end of January. Well, as I write this, they’re doing overtime in the first week of February.

It’s always a magnificent moment and something I recommend. There are several options; the one I prefer is Brim’s electric boat, comfortable but above all more respectful of the animals.

Find out more about whales and orcas in Tromso

• Book your whale watching excursion!

Going snowmobiling

There are also plenty of options for snowmobiling in Tromso and getting an eyeful at the same time. Because you snowmobile through gorgeous landscapes. In the Lyngen Alps or in the Tamokdalen, that is to say surrounded by mountains!

You do need a driving licence to ride one in Norway, but if you have one, it’s something I recommend because it’s fun and really enjoyable! Be warned though, it’s not cheap (from €200).

Find out more about where to go snowmobiling in Tromso

• Book your snowmobile excursion

Seeing the reindeer at a Sami camp

This is nice too, especially if you have children! (well, it’s nice for grown-ups too). Reindeer are emblematic of the region and honestly they’re lovely animals. A bit clumsy, completely drawn to food (sounds like me), so during this activity you’ll get to feed them and get up very close.

There’s also the option of doing a sled ride. It’s more sedate than the dogs, and it works well for children.

Find out more about the reindeer in Tromso!

• Book your trip to see the reindeer in Tromso

An example one-week itinerary in Tromso without a car, in winter

So we’re going to see that it is still possible to put together a nice itinerary when you don’t have a car, to discover Tromso and its surroundings over a week. The idea isn’t to make you pay for every activity under the sun, but to pick the ones you want and try to see some landscapes too 🙂

• Duration: one week
• Recommended accommodation: Radisson Blu, for its breakfast, its bedding and its location

Day by day:

• Day 1: Discovering the city, the centre, the little streets, the museum of polar expeditions. Finish with a coffee at the very cosy Smørtorget café
• Day 2: A day of dog sledding, discover it here
  • evening: Seeing the northern lights at Telegrafbukta
• Day 3: Take the bus to Ersfjord, stop first at the viewpoint up high, then walk down to the water’s edge, have a coffee at the kaffebrenneri, come back by bus (watch the timetables!)
  • evening: go and see the northern lights outside the city with an agency, discover it in this article
• Day 4: Discover Kvaloya with an agency to go and see the fjords like Grotfjord, then head to Sommaroy, discover it here
• Day 5: Do a whale / fjord trip, depending on the season, discover it here
• Day 6: Visit the reindeer at a Sami farm, discover it here, then head to the Fjellheisen cable car for a coffee and a really good tart
  • evening: watch the northern lights from Fjellheisen (watch out for the wind!)
• Day 7: if you still have a free day, you can go cross-country skiing in the city, or why not head to the Tromso Alpinpark ski centre!

This is just a small example that’s easily adaptable. I’d advise trying to alternate days with a big activity and something more laid-back the next day.

For the northern lights, it mostly depends on the weather, but in the city the two best places to see them are Telgrafbukta beach (also very nice by day) and Fjellheisen. You can go every evening if the weather allows, but otherwise the simplest option is to go through an agency, which is also more expensive.

Where to sleep in Tromso

• Discover all the best accommodation options in Tromso

I talk about it in the article mentioned just above, but without a car you’ll need to sleep on the island of Tromso. And I’d recommend the very centre for practical reasons.

For that, there are plenty of options, but the huge problem with Tromso is that the hotel offering is excellent yet limited compared with the number of tourists. It fills up fast! And so it’s also quite expensive, especially in the very high tourist season. Off season, it’s reasonable.

So with all that in mind, I’d particularly recommend these — good quality, city centre, good bedding and breakfast (essentials in my view). In winter it’s expensive; off season it’s honestly fine:

• Scandic Ishavshotel, my favourite
• Radisson Blu, a safe bet
• Thon Hotel Tromso, the best bed and breakfast, but not on the waterfront
• Smarthotel for the low prices, but not so low in winter

Practical information

How to get to Tromso

Getting to Tromso by plane is super simple. The airport is served from a great many cities (Bergen, Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Frankfurt…), so you often only need one connection.

Prices vary enormously; I’d strongly advise comparing (personally I use Kayak, reliable). Be careful, the big trend is to offer prices without baggage, which then inflates the bill. And prices vary a lot from one day to the next!

To come by train, you’ll need to take either:

• the Oslo – Bodo line
• the Stockholm – Narvik line

And then take a bus, bus 100 (3 a day from Narvik, at 5.30am, 1pm, 3.30pm) for a 4-hour drive. Tickets are booked on the transport app and cost around €41.

From the airport to the city centre

Once at Tromso airport (located just a few minutes from the centre), there are several options for getting to the city centre:

• a taxi costs between €20 and €25, but there’s a surcharge at night and at weekends
• the local bus (lines 40 and 42), which takes 25 min; the ticket is bought via the Troms Mobillett app or at the machine at the bus stop
• the express bus, Flybussen, whose timetables and fares you can see here, the ticket is bought at the machine in the airport

Conclusion

There we go! I hope I’ve answered your questions. You can discover Tromso without a car — the main sights in the city are reachable on foot without difficulty. But if you want to explore the landscapes and the surroundings, that’s where the bus network shows all its limits and you’ll have to go through agencies. Just as the main activities are also doable as excursions, the good thing being that they’ll pick you up in the centre. You can estimate the cost of your trip to Tromso here.

So I’d say that to fully enjoy Tromso without a car, it’ll cost more than with a car, because it pushes you towards excursions (which are great, mind you! but not cheap), but it’s absolutely possible 🙂